Anderson Secures Doncaster Move

Defender joins League One side on permanent deal as Chris Long and Josh Ginnelly also exit Turf Moor

17 May 2018

Tom Anderson has ended his time at Turf Moor to join Doncaster Rovers on a two-year deal.

The central defender is out of contract with the Clarets this summer and moves to Rovers following an impressive loan spell with the South Yorkshire club during the last three months of the season just finished.

Anderson, 24, started seven games for Doncaster, either side of a fractured cheek bone, as he helped Darren Ferguson’s side retain their League One status.

“I'm really happy to get the deal done quickly. It means I can now relax with my future sorted and get ready for the start of pre-season,” said Anderson, who will formally complete his move on 1 July.

“It's important for any player, and with me being out of contract at Burnley I wanted to get it done. I didn't want to be going away and worrying about what was going to happen.

“Everything to do with the club made me want to stay here. The manager was great with me during my loan spell and I got on well with all the lads.

"I had a fantastic time at Burnley and would like to thank everyone - staff and team-mates - for giving me the start I had at such a good club and now is the ideal time to start a new part of my career."

Burnley-born Anderson joined the Clarets as a seven-year-old and progressed through the club’s youth system to reach the first-team squad.

He didn’t make a competitive senior appearance for Burnley but gained first-team experience with loan spells at Barrow, Hyde United, Halifax Town, Carlisle United and Chesterfield before starting the 2017/18 season at Port Vale.

Chris Long ends a three-year stay as a Burnley player

Anderson made 24 appearances for the Valiants and then, at the end of January, secured a loan move to the Keepmoat Stadium where he will now continue his career.

Meanwhile, the Clarets have released striker Chris Long and winger Josh Ginnelly, who reach the end of their contracts with the club in June.

Long, who joined Burnley from Everton in July 2015, made 10 league appearances in his first season at Turf Moor as Sean Dyche’s side won the Championship title.

The striker, 23, then spent loan spells with Fleetwood Town, Bolton Wanderers and Northampton Town, scoring nine times for the Cobblers last season as they were relegated from League One.

Winger Ginnelly, 21, who moved to Burnley from Shrewsbury Town in August, 2015, spent last season on loan with Lincoln City and Tranmere Rovers and enjoyed a second successive promotion from the National League after helping Micky Mellon’s Tranmere go up via the play-offs.